Gene Editing Coalition Formed To Develop Responsible Use Framework

The Coalition for Responsible Gene Editing in Agriculture has established a multi-stakeholder Steering Committee to develop a framework for the responsible use of gene editing in agriculture. The steering committee, representing diverse stakeholder interests, met July 26 in Washington, D.C. to begin the development process.

“The steering committee will work to develop a framework that can provide assurance to the food system and other stakeholders that those using gene editing within the framework are doing so responsibly,” said Charlie Arnot, chief executive officer of The Center for Food Integrity (CFI), which facilitates the Coalition. “The framework will provide an opportunity for those engaged in gene editing to demonstrate their commitment to values that build trust.”

“Gene editing holds tremendous potential to benefit society through genetic improvement that can increase the sustainability of food production, improve the nutrition and quality of food, improve disease resistance for plants and animals and enhance productivity for farmers around the world. Consumers and stakeholders across the food system are collectively seeking a better future, and technologies like gene editing that garner broad acceptance and support can help realize this vision,” Arnot said.

“In order to achieve its goal, the responsible use framework must be credible as well as workable and affordable for the wide range of entities that use gene editing, including academic researchers and commercial enterprises of varying sizes,” Arnot said.

The steering committee plans to build on the success of self-governance models to create a recommended model for responsible use of gene editing. Once developed, the model will be circulated for feedback from a larger group of stakeholder representatives, and ultimately approved by the leaders of CFI’s Coalition.

In addition to the framework, the Coalition is developing communications training and materials to support effective public engagement about gene editing. To learn more about the Coalition for Responsible Gene Editing in Agriculture visit http://geneediting.foodintegrity.org/.

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